Tag: dricus du plessis

Dricus Du Plessis To Israel Adesanya Ahead Of UFC 305: ‘Pull Out Of The Fight!’

Despite the previous tensions between Dricus Du Plessis and his first title challenger, Israel Adesanya, the champion has shown his opponent some respect ahead of August 17. “Stillknocks” does have a lot of appreciation for what the former champion has been able to accomplish in his career. For all of the plaudits that “The Last […]

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Despite the previous tensions between Dricus Du Plessis and his first title challenger, Israel Adesanya, the champion has shown his opponent some respect ahead of August 17.

“Stillknocks” does have a lot of appreciation for what the former champion has been able to accomplish in his career.

For all of the plaudits that “The Last Stylebender” has rightfully earned during his six-year run with the UFC, Du Plessis questions whether he can continue fighting at this level.

The champ believes that Adesanya’s time at the top may have run it’s course and has theorized whether he still has that same hunger inside of him at this stage.

Dricus Du Plessis Says He Would Try To Pull Out Of The Fight If He Was In Israel Adesanya’s Shoes

In a recent interview with New York Post Sports, Du Plessis was asked what he would do if he was in his opponent’s shoes if, like he says, Adesanya doesn’t have enough left in the tank to become middleweight champion again.

His response was a joke about avoiding the fight altogether at this stage, but he went on to explain more about what he sees as the key difference between them.

With him being just around the corner from his first title defense as Adesanya looks to become a three-time middleweight champion, he believes that the two men are just at very different points in their careers heading into UFC 305 in Perth.

“Well if I was in his shoes right now, I would find a way to pull out of this fight to be honest because I’m coming. I’m feeling great, I’m feeling the best I’ve ever felt and that’s the banter in me, getting ready for that but in all honesty, to go and say he doesn’t have the fire, I think the fire might be there. But, it’s just too small. My fire is just shadowing his fire, maybe that’s why I don’t see the fire in him because of the fire in me.”

Read also: PHOTOS: Dricus Du Plessis & Israel Adesanya’s Custom Shorts For UFC 305

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UFC Commentator On People Underestimating Adesanya Ahead Of UFC 305: ‘Izzy’s Not The Type Of Beast I’d Want To Awaken…’

Jon Anik recently cautioned fans not to undervalue Israel Adesanya ahead of his upcoming title fight against Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 305. Adesanya is set to take on the reigning middleweight champion in the highly anticipated main event of the pay-per-view extravaganza, scheduled for August 17 at the RAC Arena in Perth, Western Australia. […]

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Jon Anik recently cautioned fans not to undervalue Israel Adesanya ahead of his upcoming title fight against Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 305.

Adesanya is set to take on the reigning middleweight champion in the highly anticipated main event of the pay-per-view extravaganza, scheduled for August 17 at the RAC Arena in Perth, Western Australia.

“The Last Stylebender” is gearing up for his Octagon return after an 11-month hiatus—the longest of his UFC career. After his title defeat to Sean Strickland at UFC 293 last September, Adesanya took a voluntary break to concentrate on his mental well-being.

Adesanya is currently navigating the most challenging stretch of his career since his unsuccessful attempt to capture the light heavyweight title against then-champion Jan Blachowicz at UFC 259. Following that setback, he endured his first middleweight defeat—a fifth-round TKO loss to his longtime rival Alex Pereira at UFC 281.

In light of his recent performances, some MMA pundits have begun to question Adesanya’s ability to stand toe-to-toe with a formidable opponent like “Stillknocks”, with whom he’s shared a fierce rivalry for some time. However, Anik firmly believes that “The Last Stylebender’s” skills are beyond reproach and should not be doubted…

Anik Suggests Adesanya’s Success Depends On Tempering Aggression Against Du Plessis

During a recent interview with MMAFightingonSBN, Anik shared his excitement for the highly anticipated showdown between Du Plessis and Adesanya. The UFC play-by-play commentator emphasized that the simmering tension between the two fighters not only adds intrigue to the bout but also raises the stakes, making it a more challenging encounter for both competitors.

“I can’t wait, right? If I gotta go from South Florida to Perth, Western Australia, 37 hours from door to door if you really want to know—thankfully, it’s for a main event of this magnitude,” Anik said. “I mean, Izzy’s not the type of beast that I’d want to awaken or add sort of extra fuel to, but at this level, I feel like these guys competitively make for a fascinating stylistic matchup, and they’ll bury the hatchet. If there’s a knockout, you know, maybe there’s some extra friction here, but I think it’s just two guys who have a lot of pride in where they’re from and who they are, and two guys who just aren’t going to back down.”

Anik went on to say that although Adesanya is the premier striker in the middleweight division, he’ll need to rein in his assertive approach when facing “Stillknocks”, a dangerous power puncher. He added that the former UFC middleweight champion must be strategic in his offense to avoid getting caught by Du Plessis’ heavy hands.

“I’m curious to what extent Izzy is going to not throw caution to the wind but sort of manage risk and manage aggression because he is maybe the best striker that I have ever seen in there, and a lot of people like this matchup for him. He is the betting favorite right now, increasingly so in those latter rounds. You know, how is he going to manage risk if the bout continues to just come at him? You know, that’s a big question mark for me. I think Izzy is going to be in prime form. I just think that this is a guy you really have to separate from consciousness, and I think if anybody’s capable of doing that, it’s Izzy.”

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UFC 305: Dricus Du Plessis vs. Israel Adesanya Weigh-In Results: One Fighter Misses

UFC 305 takes place tomorrow night, and MMA News is here to bring you the official weigh-in results! For the first time in 2024, the Octagon is Down Under, with the RAC Arena in Perth, Australia, playing host to the promotion’s latest pay-per-view event. And the mixed martial arts leader has brought a lineup worthy of […]

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UFC 305 takes place tomorrow night, and MMA News is here to bring you the official weigh-in results!

For the first time in 2024, the Octagon is Down Under, with the RAC Arena in Perth, Australia, playing host to the promotion’s latest pay-per-view event. And the mixed martial arts leader has brought a lineup worthy of the occasion with it across the world, including a title fight and a host of notable undercard bouts.

The championship clash at the top of the card will see Dricus Du Plessis and Israel Adesanya’s heated feud finally reach the steel surroundings of the Octagon, with the South African’s middleweight title on the line.

Elsewhere, top flyweights Kai Kara-France and Steve Erceg will look to engineer themselves a second shot at UFC gold in the co-main event, while Oceanic favorites Dan Hooker and Tai Tuivasa will also hope to deliver highlight victories on the main card.

UFC 305: Du Plessis vs. Adesanya Weigh-In Results

UFC 305 takes place Saturday, August 17 (August 18 local time) at the RAC Arena in Perth, Australia. The main card begins at 10 PM ET/7 PM PT, with the preliminary card starting at 6:30 PM ET/3:30 PM PT.

See above for a replay of the UFC 305 Weigh-In Show, and check out the full results below!

Main Card:

  • Middleweight Championship Main Event: Dricus Du Plessis (185lbs) vs. Israel Adesanya (184lbs)
  • Flyweight Co-Main Event: Kai Kara-France (125lbs) vs. Steve Erceg (125.5lbs)
  • Lightweight: Mateusz Gamrot (156lbs) vs. Dan Hooker (155.5lbs)
  • Heavyweight: Tai Tuivasa (265lbs) vs. Jairzinho Rozenstruik (259lbs)
  • Welterweight: Li Jingliang (171lbs) vs. Carlos Prates (170lbs)

Preliminary Card:

  • Heavyweight: Junior Tafa (244lbs) vs. Valter Walker (252lbs)
  • Featherweight: Joshua Culibao (146lbs) vs. Ricardo Ramos (145.5lbs)
  • Women’s Flyweight: Casey O’Neill (125.5lbs) vs. Luana Santos (126lbs)
  • Featherweight: Jack Jenkins (145.5lbs) vs. Herbert Burns (146lbs)

Early Preliminary Card:

  • Lightweight: Tom Nolan (155.5lbs) vs. Alex Reyes (156lbs)
  • Welterweight: Song Kenan (171lbs) vs. Ricky Glenn (171lbs)
  • Flyweight: Stewart Nicoll (126lbs) vs. Jesus Aguilar (127.5lbs)*

*Jesus Aguilar missed the flyweight limit by 1.5 pounds, fight status TBC

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UFC 305: Dricus Du Plessis vs. Israel Adesanya Ceremonial Weigh-In Faceoffs & Full Stream

UFC 305 takes place on Saturday night, and MMA News is here to bring you the final faceoffs from the ceremonial weigh-ins! The upcoming pay-per-view event at Perth’s RAC Arena provides a chance for UFC Middleweight Champion Dricus Du Plessis to further enhance his legacy on mixed martial arts’ biggest stage. After unseating Sean Strickland in […]

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UFC 305 takes place on Saturday night, and MMA News is here to bring you the final faceoffs from the ceremonial weigh-ins!

The upcoming pay-per-view event at Perth’s RAC Arena provides a chance for UFC Middleweight Champion Dricus Du Plessis to further enhance his legacy on mixed martial arts’ biggest stage.

After unseating Sean Strickland in the American’s first defense this past January, the South African will look to avoid the same fate when he puts the gold on the line Down Under opposite former two-time champ Israel Adesanya.

Title stakes could be down the line for the co-main event winner, meanwhile, with recent challenger Steve Erceg looking to immediately bounce back from his first UFC setback against the returning Kai Kara-France.

Elsewhere on the UFC 305 card, lightweight fan favorite Dan Hooker shoots for a top-five ranking opposite Mateusz Gamrot, hard-hitting heavyweights Tai Tuivasa and Jairzinho Rozenstruik likely swing for the fences, and China’s Li Jingliang makes a long-awaited comeback.

Ahead of the event, 23 out of the 24 fighters successfully made weight, with Jesus Aguilar’s 1.5-pound miss of the flyweight limit marking the sole indiscretion on the scale.

Nevertheless, every fight has remained intact, and all that remained on Friday night (Saturday local time) was for the athletes to face off one final time at the UFC 305 ceremonial weigh-ins!

Check out a stream via the official UFC YouTube channel below, followed by all the faceoffs!

UFC 305 Ceremonial Weigh-In Stream

UFC 305 Ceremonial Weigh-In Faceoffs

https://twitter.com/UFC_AUSNZ/status/1824644087280005191

https://twitter.com/UFC_AUSNZ/status/1824645141052699124

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Throwback: Dricus Du Plessis helps grounded opponent with fallen mouthpiece, throws vicious ground and pound

Dricus Du Plessis, UFCDuring a fight in his early career, Dricus Du Plessis helped his opponent with his mouthpiece and then threw brutal shots on the ground.  The now UFC middleweight noticed that his opponent didn’t have his mouthpiece and assisted him with putting it back into his mouth. Then, Du Plessis threw vicious punches on his grounded […]

Dricus Du Plessis, UFC

During a fight in his early career, Dricus Du Plessis helped his opponent with his mouthpiece and then threw brutal shots on the ground. 

The now UFC middleweight noticed that his opponent didn’t have his mouthpiece and assisted him with putting it back into his mouth. Then, Du Plessis threw vicious punches on his grounded opponent. 

Dricus Du Plessis Has Been Impressive Since Arriving in the UFC

Du Plessis (18-2) is a former two-division champion in South African mixed martial arts promotion Extreme Fighting Championship. He also claimed gold in KSW. 

The 28-year-old inked a deal with the UFC in Sept. 2020. He has been unbeaten since his debut at UFC Fight Night 179. He has finished three of his four UFC fights. Du Plessis last submitted Darren Till with a face crank at UFC 282. He’s currently the No.10 ranked middleweight in the company. 

What’s Next After UFC 304? Full Confirmed UFC 305 Main Card For Perth On August 17

UFC 304 is in the books, meaning attention will soon turn to the mixed martial arts leader’s next pay-per-view offering. The promotion was in Manchester, England last week, where the Co-op Live played host to a number of intriguing matchups for its latest visit across the pond. Of note were victories for newly crowned UFC Welterweight […]

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UFC 304 is in the books, meaning attention will soon turn to the mixed martial arts leader’s next pay-per-view offering.

The promotion was in Manchester, England last week, where the Co-op Live played host to a number of intriguing matchups for its latest visit across the pond. Of note were victories for newly crowned UFC Welterweight Champion Belal Muhammad, Interim UFC Heavyweight Champion Tom Aspinall, and rising lightweight Paddy Pimblett.

While the aftermath of the July 27 card is currently the talk of the town, it won’t be long until focus sways to the next PPV, and from the welterweight title picture to the 185-pound championship conversation.

At UFC 305, set for the RAC Arena in Perth, Australia, on August 17, reigning middleweight kingpin Dricus Du Plessis will compete for the second time this year, making his first defense of the gold in a long-awaited grudge match against returning former two-time champ Israel Adesanya.

There will also be high stakes and Oceanic interest in the co-headliner, as former flyweight title challengers Kai Kara-France and Steve Erceg collide in the latter’s home city in pursuit of staking their claim for a shot at Alexandre Pantoja’s belt down the line.

Hooker, Tuivasa, ‘The Leech’ Set The Stage For Title Headliner At UFC 305

Before Du Plessis defends his championship in Adesanya’s home continent and the City Kickboxing standout’s teammate “Don’t Blink” makes his comeback, a number of other high-profile names will take to the Octagon looking to make the post of their position on the major card.

That includes fan-favorite lightweight veteran Dan Hooker, whose frequent calls for a spot on the Perth card were finally answered in the form of a crucial showdown with the #5-ranked Mateusz Gamrot. While Hooker has won back-to-back outings against Claudio Puelles and Jalin Turner to begin a resurgence, “Gamer” is riding a three-fight win streak.

Prior to that, Australia’s own Tai Tuivasa will look to bring his patented post-knockout shoey celebration back to the Octagon for the first time since his victory over Derrick Lewis in February 2022. That result marked “Bam Bam’s” fifth straight win and left him at #3 in the heavyweight rankings, but he’s since lost four in a row, the most recent of which came against Marcin Tybura at the Apex this past March. The same month saw his next opponent, Jairzinho Rozenstruik, return to winning ways at the expense of Shamil Gaziev.

And opening the main card is the return of Li Jingliang, who hasn’t made the walk since a controversial defeat to Daniel Rodriguez in their short-notice 180-pound catchweight contest at UFC 279 in September 2022.

See below for the full UFC 304 card, as it stands.

Main Card:

  • Dricus Du Plessis (C) vs. Israel Adesanya (middleweight championship main event)
  • Kai Kara-France vs. Steve Erceg (flyweight co-main event)
  • Mateusz Gamrot vs. Dan Hooker (lightweight)
  • Tai Tuivasa vs. Jairzinho Rozenstruik (heavyweight)
  • Li Jingliang vs. Carlos Prates (welterweight)

Preliminary Card:

  • Junior Tafa vs. Valter Walker (heavyweight)
  • Joshua Culibao vs. Ricardo Ramos (featherweight)
  • Casey O’Neill vs. Luana Santos (women’s flyweight)
  • Jack Jenkins vs. Herbert Burns (featherweight)

Early Preliminary Card:

  • Tom Nolan vs. Alex Reyes (lightweight)
  • Song Kenan vs. Ricky Glenn (welterweight)
  • Stewart Nicoll vs. Jesus Aguilar (flyweight)
Dan Hooker
Image: UFC.com

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